CHAPTER 87……………………………
“…And so, they lived happily ever after.”
The gift the girl received from the divine beast Leviathan was called the Star of the Sea.
No one even knew if it truly existed, but in the fairy tale book, it was described as aquamarine.
“Oh, right.”
Linnaria said as she closed the fairy tale book.
“I only told my brother that we’re lovers. Be careful so nothing causes trouble.”
“Hey, Liri.”
“Mm?”
She felt his hand, which had been fidgeting with her foot, wrap around her ankle.
“If we’re lovers… does that mean things like this are allowed?”
Kaas lowered his head over the top of Linnaria’s foot.
His lips brushed against it.
It tickled.
Her toes curled, and Linnaria tried to pull her foot back.
But his hand, holding her ankle, wouldn’t let her escape.
Looking down at his dark head with slight bewilderment, Linnaria barely managed to answer.
“Probably… yes.”
“Then how about this?”
This time, it was her ankle.
“Kaas.”
“Don’t like it?”
Kaas slowly rose to his feet.
A moment ago, when he had been beneath her, he’d seemed so gentle.
But facing him like this, the difference in their size became all too real.
She had forgotten that fact, since he always adjusted himself to her eye level or lower.
Yet Kaas soon lowered his gaze like a puppy with drooping ears, and any sense of threat vanished.
“I only did it because I was happy you called me your lover. Sorry if I scared you.”
Linnaria realized something.
Kaas hadn’t realized at all that her claim of being lovers to Ricardo was just an excuse.
He had seen through the sweet whisper that she loved him as a lie, yet in matters like this, he was naïve.
“Kaas.”
Linnaria cupped his cheek.
“To me, you’re more than just a lover.”
If a couple drawn to each other’s charm could be described with the word lover, then the bond between them couldn’t be contained by such a small word.
But she held her tongue.
She knew the Kaas of now wouldn’t understand if she explained.
Maximilian wasn’t a tyrant, and Kaas had never truly submitted to him completely.
“I mean it.”
Linnaria gazed at him blushing from the moment she touched his cheek.
He no longer read children’s fairy tales—he had grown so much.
The day he would stand as an equal to Maximilian had drawn nearer.
“Kaas.”
“Yes.”
“Close your eyes.”
Kaas obediently closed his eyes.
Suppressing his desires, he quietly waited. She pressed her lips to his.
And she thought:
Even if the day came when she saw the despair of a Maximilian who could not become a tyrant, and had to cut off his head in the end—she and Kaas could never remain innocent lovers.
Right now, it may seem as though I’m your whole world, but once you step into the truly vast world, your view of it will change.
When everything was over, he would see a woman consumed by incomprehensible hatred, dreaming only of revenge.
He would realize it all began with her delusion.
The fact that I made a contract with the divine beast of time must remain a secret forever.
If he still loved her even then, it would no longer be true love—it would be blind devotion.
Linnaria suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
Perhaps because, for her, Kaas was no longer just a tool for revenge—she saw him as a person. No, as a man.
A few days later, in Rozen.
“Young Lady, is this really the place? It says ‘No Entry’ right there.”
Anna asked in confusion, pointing at the mine.
“It was closed down, so they’ve forbidden access. But we’ve been granted permission, so it’s fine.”
Using a magical tool to change her hair color, Linnaria had disguised herself with black hair, looking like a commoner.
Today, she was visiting the glowstone mine as the head of her merchant guild.
“It looks dangerous.”
Anna, who had followed along with Linnaria and Kaas, looked wary.
It did look like the kind of place where ghosts could appear.
“Do we really have to check it ourselves? If it’s just a tour, why not send someone else? It looks like it could collapse any second.”
“It’s sturdier than it looks. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have stood for decades without problems.”
Though she said it lightly, Linnaria grew more serious.
Anna is right. It’s been abandoned a long time, and the mine has no value anymore.
If Duke Leviathan hadn’t purchased this abandoned mine in her previous life, she would never have even considered acquiring it.
Duke Leviathan isn’t the kind of fool to waste money on useless things.
Back then, she had brushed it off when she first heard of it.
But thinking back now, it struck her as odd—that’s why she had come to see the mine herself.
Originally, Leviathan wouldn’t buy the mine until about six months later.
Assuming there’s something hidden here, I announced my intent to purchase it as a merchant guild master and asked permission to inspect it personally.
But there didn’t seem to be anything of note.
The only fortunate thing was that her father allowed her to tour the mine without a caretaker.
It had been abandoned for years, but since it was maintained periodically, it wasn’t dangerous.
And there was nothing worth stealing in an abandoned mine, so he had given his consent.
From Father’s perspective, whether it’s sold or not doesn’t matter. He probably just thinks the guild master is eccentric.
Out of goodwill from past business dealings, he had indulged her.
Just like with the matter of Brother Ricardo. Hopefully, this mine won’t turn out empty-handed as well.
Otherwise, coming all the way to Oberléon would have been meaningless.
“Young Lady, please stay right by me! You never know—there might be wild animals hiding inside!”
Anna clenched her fist and shouted with vigor.
“That won’t happen. Kaas already came once to check that it was safe.”
The other day, Kaas had briefly disappeared under the pretense of an errand—he had gone ahead to scout the mine.
When he returned, his report was: There’s nothing there.
That was why Anna had been brought along.
Normally, it was just her and Kaas, but she couldn’t shake the feeling they were overlooking something.
She needed another perspective.
And if it were just Kaas and me, Anna would be left alone at the villa in Minua for days.
She couldn’t bring herself to abandon Anna like that.
So she had revealed her identity as the head of the Luna Merchant Guild and asked her to come along.
“What?! You’re the one who founded the Luna Guild, Young Lady?!”
Anna had been shocked, then a little hurt that it had been kept from her.
“Honestly, I’m a little disappointed. I thought I knew everything about you.”
“Sorry, I should have told you sooner.”
“You must have had a reason, right?”
“Yes, I wanted to keep it secret if possible. Even my father doesn’t know yet.”
“Then that’s fine! That means I knew something even the Duke of Ober doesn’t!”
Anna beamed brightly.
And now—
“Since it was abandoned, there’s no proper lighting. It’s so dark. These days, they use glowstones to light the tunnels.”
Anna said proudly, as if it were her own achievement.
Linnaria burst out laughing and picked up a lantern to enter the mine.
“Liri, let me—”
“Young Lady! Let me carry that! Please stay close to me!”
Anna pushed Kaas aside and even took Linnaria’s lantern.
“Come on, isn’t the man supposed to lead?”
“….”
Shoved aside openly by Anna, Kaas couldn’t argue and ended up taking the lead.
Then he turned his head.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know… felt like something was there.”
Linnaria followed his gaze, but saw nothing.
“In an abandoned mine like this? You just don’t want to be in front, do you?”
When Anna snapped, Kaas only replied, “Must’ve imagined it,” and walked on.
“If you notice anything suspicious, tell us right away.”
“Yes!”
Once inside, they had only the lantern’s light to rely on.
There was nothing unusual.
It was so silent they could hear each other’s breathing.
“But something’s strange.”
“What is?”
Until Anna said it.
“I keep hearing water dripping.”
“What are you talking about?”
Linnaria couldn’t hear it at all. Water dripping?
“Kaas, do you hear it?”
“No.”
“Huh? But it’s so clear to me.” Anna tilted her head.
“No way…”
At that moment, a possibility flashed through Linnaria’s mind.
Leviathan’s treasure—the Star of the Sea—was here.
If that was true, it explained why Leviathan would buy such a worthless abandoned mine.
With that, I wouldn’t just surpass Leviathan—Maximilian’s greatest supporter—but I wouldn’t have to worry about the imperial family’s eyes either.
Leviathan’s treasure wasn’t only special to Leviathan.
Now, Linnaria had come to this mine before them.
That meant she had a chance to steal the treasure from their grasp.
